RIVERSIDE â" When everything goes right for UC Riverside, like it did for a short stretch during Saturdayâs game against Air Force, the Highlanders look like a competitive team.

But so far this season, those stretches where UCR hits its shots, rebounds with authority, controls the tempo and plays shutdown defense, have been few and far between.

That was the case again Saturday as UCR (3-9) clawed its way back from a 17-4 deficit to eventually take a lead against the Falcons, then fizzled in the second half on the way to a 61-53 loss at the Student Recreation Center.

UCR ended its pre-conference season with just one victory against a Division I team and begins Big West play next Saturday when Cal Poly visits.

âWhat we do is take care of the things we can take care of,â coach Jim Wooldridge said. âWe played great defense in the first half, cut our turnovers down in the second half â¦ there were some positive things to hang our hat on and weâre obviously going to have to improve, but we think we can.â

It was the seventh time in 12 games the Highlanders have scored fewer than 60 points and three starters â" Davin Guinn, Chris Harriel and Lucas Devenny â" combined for just one field goal. Scoring has been the biggest issue surrounding a young team bogged down by inconsistency.

âItâs very frustrating because we always come out and do good in the beginning but the second half itâs always something and itâs been that way the whole year,â senior guard Robert Smith said. âWeâre trying to figure out a way to put together a whole game.â

The game started almost as scripted. Air Force, third in the country in 3-pointers, connected on four straight to highlight a 17-0 run. UCR, which has struggled to score, had just four points until Josh Fox hit a short shot in the lane with 11:02 left in the half.

The Highlanders settled down and put together a 13-2 run of their own. When Smith connected on a 3-pointer with 4:13 left in the half, UCR led 23-21.

Air Force (8-2) led by two at the break but built its advantage to 14 in the second half as UCR went cold from the field. Chris Patton, whoâs been hobbled by tendinitis, came off the bench to finish with 14 points and seven rebounds and was effective in the second half, but it would be too little too late.

âRight now weâre a 20-minute team,â Fox said.

Smith finished with 11 points and Fox added eight. Taylor Johns scored nine points and recorded five rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes off the bench.

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